Nissan is selling a true series hybrid in Japan that they're calling "E-Power", and they're basically describing as a gateway drug to 100% EV adoption.
It's nearly as efficient as a Prius on the notoriously lenient Japese fuel economy test cycle (which doesn't have much if any prolonged high speed driving).
It's a parts bin car, developed to be relatively inexpensive:
- powered by a modified 1.2L 3-cylinder engine from the Micra
- electric drivetrain components from the Leaf
- small 1.5 kWh battery (under the front seats)
The engine never powers the wheels directly:
Fuel economy on the JC-08 cycle:
- 37.2 km/L (87 mpg US, 2.69 L/100km); 34.0 km/L (80 mpg US, 2.94 L/100km); and 34.0 km/L
For comparison, the 2016 prius is rated at 94 mpg US on the JC-08,
vs their 80-87 mpg.
A couple of vids (turn on subtitles / autotranslate if you dare):
The second one is just a P.O.V. clip. It shows how often the gas engine comes on (a lot). Some reports are mistakenly saying the engine only runs at its 2500 RPM BSFC sweet spot, but you can clearly hear/see that it revs up much higher when the driver floors the gas a few times.
Keep an eye on the engine/battery graphic on the right side of the instrument cluster:
Nissan's press release:
https://newsroom.nissan-global.com/r...lang=en-US&rss